Photo: Instagram @ourholistickitchen.
It’s Easter Weekend, and for those of you that choose to celebrate, that probably means you’re in store for a lot of crappy candy. From chocolate bunnies, to jelly beans, to Reese’s eggs… you’ve got a load of sugar headed your way. It’s a holiday, and you should celebrate with something sweet, but you don’t have to settle for drugstore chocolates. If you’re willing to put in the time, you can cook up these delicious, raw snickers bars. They’re still sweet treats (to call them healthy is a stretch), but at least they’re made from good stuff. Your belly will thank you.
Ingredients
Nougat Base
1 cup (150g) cashews (soaked 4-6 hours, rinsed & drained)
1/3 cup (80ml) coconut cream
¼ cup (60ml) melted coconut oil
2 tbps pure maple syrup (see notes)
¼ tsp vanilla bean powder
2/3 cup (80g) almond meal
Caramel
2 cups (280g) medjool dates, pitted
½ cup (140g) smooth peanut butter (good quality 100% peanuts)
1/3 cup (80ml) coconut cream
½ cup (125ml) melted coconut oil
1 tbps mesquite powder (see notes)
½ teaspoon himalayan salt
1½ cups (210g) roughly chopped unsalted peanuts
Chocolate Coating
1 cup (100g) cacao powder
¾ cup (180ml) melted cacao butter (180g unmelted)
¼ cup (60ml) melted coconut oil
1/3 cup (80ml) pure maple syrup
Instructions
-Line a square cake tin (about 20 cm x 20 cm) with non-stick baking paper, extending the paper well over the sides.
-Blend all nougat ingredients (except almond meal) at a high speed in a food processor or blender. Continue until as smooth as possible. Then add in the almond meal and pulse to combine, but allow it to stay chunky.
-Spread nougat over base of baking tin. Smooth the surface of the nougat with a spatula. Freeze until set (about 2 hours).
-For the caramel, place the dates in a medium bowl, cover with cold water, and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain. Then blend the dates with other caramel ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Leave out the peanuts.
-Spread half the caramel over the nougat, and smooth the surface. Sprinkle half the chopped peanuts over the top and use a spatula to press the peanuts into the caramel. Repeat with remaining caramel and peanuts. Freeze for 1 hour.
-Remove the mix from the tin, and slice into 15 rectangular bars. Place bars on a paper-lined tray and place back in the freezer to reset.
-For the chocolate, place cacao powder in a medium, heat-safe bowl, over a bowl of warm water. Stir in coconut oil and cacao butter until smooth, and then add in maple syrup. Stir until well combined.
-Dip the base of each bar one at a time in the chocolate. Place on lined tray, chocolate side up. Allow the chocolate to set (should only take a minute or two) and then flip the bar over. Spoon chocolate to cover the other side of the bar, coating the entire bar completely. Freeze for 10 minutes.
-Store bars in airtight container in the freezer, and remove from freezer 5 minutes before eating.
-Enjoy!
Note: this recipe was adapted from Our Holistic Kitchen. Check out www.ourholistickitchen.com for more recipes like this one.
